By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL – Bristol Central’s girls track and field squad ended the regular season with a huge 101-48 victory over crosstown rival Bristol Eastern on Tuesday afternoon from Alumni Field as the Rams grabbed 11 first place victories over the city series encounter.

And with just two seniors in the fold, the underclassmen at Central did a tremendous job against the Lancers’ up-and-coming program.

“I thought we did great,” said Central coach Kiara Bonilla. “Our team is super young, just two seniors. Moving on, we’re obviously going to miss them.”

But those two seniors, Kaiya Yuschak and Destinee Craft, helped lead to squad to victory with strong finishes.

Yuschak finished the pole vault in second place, clearing seven feet, while Craft won the triple jump with a make of 35 feet.

Craft seized second place in the long jump (13 feet, 9.5 inches) and third in the triple jump (30 feet, half inch) to complete a busy day in the field.

Central sophomore Kylee Barnes had a tremendous showing in the high jump, nabbing another five foot, four inch leap, while also winning the long jump (13 feet, 11.5 inches).

“She’s starting to figure it out,” said Bonilla of Barnes. “Last year as a freshman, it was new for her but I think she’s really starting to enjoy it and trust Coach Stafford with high jump, and Coach Holmes and Coach Amanda in the long and triple jumps.”

“She’s fun to watch. She’s just an athlete. We’re excited to see what she’s going to do.”

Central took two of the three relay events that day.

Central’s combination of Emily Blanchette, Christina Browne, Gabriella Naranjo, and Rebecca Litwinczyk won the 4×100 relay in 51:99 seconds and then in the 4×400, the team of Sophia Stark, Litwinczyk, Katie Tran, and Lynae Lewis finished in first place (4:24).

Speaking of Naranjo, she won both the 100 (13.18 seconds) and 200 (27:17) meter events and Blanchette took the 110 hurdles in 18.65 seconds.

Also for the Rams, Agnerick Coreano won the discus event (77 feet, seven inches), Bryanna Malcolm took the 300 hurdles (53.81 seconds), and Lewis’s time of 62.66 seconds won her the 400 meters.

Eastern held its own at the meet as Fiona Gallagher won several events.

She grabbed first place tallies in the 1600 (5:53) and 3200 meters (13:22) and helped the 4×800 win as well.

“Fiona did a great job,” said Eastern coach Tony Floyd. “She came in first place in a couple of events.”

In the 4×800, the foursome of Cecelia Gilbert, Meyer, Lauren Ayotte, and Gallagher took the relay in 11:46 for another first place finish.

“Our 4×800 they did a nice job,” said Floyd of his relay squad. “We had some good performances in that event.”

Gilbert also won the 800 meters (2:29), Isabell Fulton took the pole vault with a make of eight feet, six inches, and Natalya Morris finished the shot put with a winning toss of 26 feet and seven inches.

And in the javelin, Mackenzie Fitzsimons easily won once again, making a chuck of over 120 feet as she’s starting the dominate the event as the postseason looms.

“It’s the second time she’s hit 120 feet” in the javelin said Floyd of Fitzsimons. “She hit 123 at the Greater Hartford Invite last Saturday. She’s doing a great job. She’s starting to get in rare form.”

Central’s squad made a tremendous showing in the most pressure-filled meet to date and looks forward to hitting the track and field once again on Tuesday, May 24 when all the teams of the CCC South battle at Platt High School in Meriden for the league title.

“Our young athletes definitely stepped it up,” said Bonilla. “I think we did great. We got the win and now we’re on to the [CCC South] Conference [Championship].

Bristol Central Girls Track & Field

BRISTOL CENTRAL 101, BRISTOL CENTRAL 48

from Alumni Field, Bristol Eastern

Individual Results – Top Three Places (where applicable)

4×800 relay – Gilbert, Meyer, Ayotte, Gallagher (BE), 11:46

4×100 relay – Blanchette, Browne, Naranjo, Litwinczyk (BC), 51:99

Long Jump – Barnes (BC), 13-11.5; Craft (BC), 13-9.5; Browne (BC), 13-5.0

100 meters – Naranjo (BC), 13.18 seconds; Litwinczyk (BC), 13:52; Bouchard (BE), 13.65 

Pole Vault – Fulton (BE), 8-6; Yuschak (BC), 7-0

Javelin – Fitzsimons (BE), 120-1; Coreano (BC), 71-8; Ayotte (BE), 69-1.

Shot Put – Morris (BE), 26-7; Richards (BC), 24-10; Coreano (BC), 24-7

110 Hurdles – Blanchette (BC), 18.65 seconds; Newman (BE), 19.91; Malcolm (BC), 20.20

Discus – Coreano (BC), 77-7; Richards (BC), 62-3; Morris (BE), 60-1

High Jump – Barnes (BC), 5-4; Braccia (BE), 4-10; Craft (BC) 4-8

300 Hurdles – Malcolm (BC), 53.81 seconds; Blanchette (BC), 53.83; Newman (BE), 59.24

400 meters – Lewis (BC), 62.66; Amara (BC) 66.04; Meyer (BE), 66.39

800 meters – Gilbert (BE), 2:29; Stark (BC), 2:30; Gallagher (BE), 2:32

200 meters – Naranjo (BC), 27:17 seconds; Litwinczyk (BC), 27:56; Bouchard (BE), 27.96

1600 meters – Gallagher (BE), 5:53; Stark (BC), 6:13; Tran (BC), 6:24

3200 meters – Gallagher (BE), 13:22; Waters (BC), 15:56; Juarez (BC), 16:23

Triple Jump – Craft (BC), 35-0; Browne (BC), 31-4; Lewis (BC), 30.05

4×400 relay – Stark, Litwinczyk, Tran, Lewis (BC), 4:24

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